New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1887-07-10
HENRY CLAY.
THE LIFE OF A GREAT LEADER
LIE OF HENRY CLAY. BY Carl. scHuRz lAm re-
foam Statesmen scriesI 2vols. l0mo, PIP oos' An
Houghton, Mffiin ~ 20.

American politics is unique The CHIEF ano
almost the founder of a great party. the strongest
personal influence in nearly oil the important con
nicts of his time patriot whose sincerity was
above question o popular leader whose extra
ordinary hold uron tie admiration and ahecSion
of the multitude has hardly a parallel In our
annals he is remembered alike for the spienoor
of his achievements and the bitterness OF MS
failures. He was repeatedly set aside IN law,
of men 80 inferior to himself in both character anu
ability that the preference seemed Ike o ooaiS0
affront; and some Of the longest and mosc o,i'-
liant of his campaigns in behalf OF parI.0u,"'
policies are famous for the gaiantfy VI .n0
lighting rather than the Disappointing results
uhe story of this stirring LIE cannon W 'oiu
without a large and minute knowledge OF party
h,s,o,y and of the conduct purposes and character
~ Individual politicians. Mr. Schurz has equipped
himself carefully for the task. and the narrative
portions of his book are distinguished for per
spicuity. completeness and animation. he mas
the art Of stating things, Of disentangling essen
tials from a maze of particulars, and presenting
them in their just relations. Sometimes With
out any effort at fine writing, he Is picturesque
He is So for instance, in his spirited account Oh
the long battle between Clay and Jackson WINCH
includes an effective contrast between the tempers
and methods of the two leaders. and an admlraoie
study of Jaclxson-m(re exact and penetrating
indeed than the estimate Of lay.
In fact, although one is at loss to point out
any of Clay's conspicuous merits TO whlcn MI
Schurz does not, in one page or another Oh hiS
book pay at least the tribute OF recogmtoh'
there will DO feeling that the author has hou
got quite close enough to his subject. On many
important questions he is Of course wholly OUT
of accord with Clay and even where this DIM
Guilty does not exist it would seem thai MS
judgments might be expressed in more generous
language and his praises warmed WIN mofo
heartiness. Now and then his hypercriucism
creates q worse impression than he INTENDS anu
we have to turn to his summaries, winch arc
generally impartial. to learn the sober opinions
which are obscured by faulthndlng hapl'
With respect to Clay's claim upon our gratitude
as the foremost champion of the American
system of protection Mr.. Schurz expresses hlm-
self with provoking coldness. Certalniy he
neither expected desired to satisfy protectioh
lists by his estimate Of the system: but he might
well have been more candid in his admission OF
the importance of what Clay accomplished. lie
has been unable to resist the temptation to be-
little what he does not like. reader unac-
onainted with the economic history of this coun
try might infer from MIR. Schurzes meagre and
nver.licbt remarks that "the American system
was one of Ciays flying delusions, partly dissi-
mated even in the lifetime of its originator
instead of the settled, triumphant policy OF
preat nation and tho foundation OF the mosI
remarkable industrial development the world mas
EVER seen. Mr. schurx seems to have half per-
shaded himself-he cannot really believe-that IN
consentipg to a certain reduction OF duties as a
mart of the compromise Of 1888, Mr.. Clay pracu-
cal,y abandoned the protective theory-as II one
who is a protectionist at % per cent becomes
free trader at 20 per cent; the TACT peihg OIL
coursethat willie the bill of 1888 made concessions
to the planting interest the principle OF fostering
native industries was not for moment ovefiooReo
Mr.. Schurz lays great stress upon the statement
that Clay was by temperament as well as denp-
crate Judgment a compromised and THIS ne aP-
regards as a weakness If not q serious
fault. But compromise is in most cases one OF
the elements of craftsmanship 10 KNOW no"
far you can 90, what measures the people can be
induced to sustain, what lesser good must DC
sacrificed or postponed for greater when conces-
sion is strength and Obstinacy weakness, how an
effective majority can be constructed out OF us
cordant materials. prejudices aDayed, opposition
marks the difference between the
practical statesman and the feeble duettahue'
1hc one writes essays on the theory OF govern
ment, lrTepfOacuaD3e eACcpU ioI ohc SiAo'N 1850
Guilty that they are Of no use. The other seldom
accomplishes all that he desires but he docs all
that is possible. and we instinctivcIy look TO
him for our best examples Of patriotism ana
public service Clay never compromised fer tie
sake of mere partisan or personal advantage. He
was actuated by one high unfailing principle
the preservation of the Union "If any one desires
to know he said, "the leading and paramount
object of my public life, the preservation OF this
Union will furnish him the key" This was not
a rhetorical boast, but plain statement OF fact'
Tie principle which led him to compromise was
precisely that which led Abraham Lincoln 10
war and it is by no means clear that the great
Wing leader was any less Judicious In leoo imam
the great Republican leader in 1851. Clay was
n soutberner and a Shareholder, who hated slavery
who expected its gradual, peaceful and not very
Aistant disappearance, who dreaded its extension
but who believed that it could only be destroyed
BY saving the federal Union. Disunion, therefore
was not merely greater present evil than slavery
but it included slavery as one OF It's long Train Oh
curses Holding this opinion, 1t is easy TO under
stand how Clay could consistently yield some OF
the demands Of the South against which his feel
tncs must have revolted. 1t is objected that
none Of the slavery compromises proved lasting
the permanent peace which they were supposed
to have secured was "only hollow truce bearing
In itself the germs of conflicts more terrible than
his imagination had ever conceived This Is an
exaggerstion, but it might be true without i'm
pugning the sagacity of Mr.. Gays course We
do not quite understand at what Mr.. Schurz's
criticism is directed for he acknowledges that in
every case compromise postponed an issue for
which the South was prepared and the North was
not. Calhoun was shrewd in urging his party to
press the controversy to quick and final
rupture 1.-The sla,eholding States would have
been more able to hold their own in 1920 than
In 1850. and more in 1850 than they proved to
be in 1861 Mr.. Clay understood the strength
and extent of the secession conspiracy at the
South and he also understood what we are apt
TO forget that at the North there was little spirit
of resistance Compromise WAS not only prudent,